


To kill an empire

by Marilianne11



Series: Wrong side of history [3]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: Angst, Assassination, Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 13:44:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20976872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marilianne11/pseuds/Marilianne11
Summary: What happens when your group is sent to kill the emperor? Moreover, what happens when someone who isn't supposed to gets the honor of drawing blood?This is my take on the story of the assassin who kills Uriel Septim VII in the Oblivion Tutorial. Enjoy!





	To kill an empire

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! The prisoner mentioned in the story is my own Hero of Kvatch. Have fun reading!

The job was an easy one. Kill the last of the Septims, destroy their bloodline so that lord Dagon would be able to spread his reign to Nirn. All the old emperor would have were three guards, Blades, to assist him. They would escape through tunnels no one else knew about, so no witnesses. They were sent with an enormous group, to make sure no one would come out of those tunnels alive. There were at least five agents to each member of the group surrounding the target.  
So why did everything go to shit? Why was he hiding behind walls to assassinate when that was not even his job?

He had been running through the tunnels, headed to the agents hiding in the next room. He'd tapped his left index finger and middle finger on his right hand, then moved both hands along his throat in opposite directions. Two teams dead. Then, he had gestured to the door and slammed one fist into his other hand. Move to next room, fight them there. He had seen a red hood move. They had understood.  
The man had run into the next room too, but hadn't stopped there. He had run all the way to the final room, the last resort. If all else failed, that would be the end of the line for the emperor no matter what. He'd had a feeling they would need to use it, and thought it best to notify the people there immediately.

He wasn't supposed to be fighting. He was there as a scout, to stay ahead of their mark and notify all groups of any changes. That was what he wanted to do, what he liked to do. Serve lord Dagon, but not through brute fighting. He was much better suited for theft, surveillance and tracking, all things he had mastered completely. Those talents were the reason he was chosen on this team, the elite forces of the Mythic Dawn. All of them were selected for the mission. It was supposed to be an easy one.

Panting, he had reached the final room. "Sir... They... They've arrived in the third room. The first two teams were obliterated. I took the liberty of sending the team of the third room to join the next team, hoping that the large numbers will overwhelm them. I doubt it will work though, sir."  
The commander had turned around. "What? The first teams were our best! Did they at least take out the emperor?" he had asked, a sliver of hope in his voice.  
"I'm afraid not, sir. I wouldn't be here if he was dead. They did take out the commander of the Blades he had brought along, but that's all. They have help too, sir. Some prisoner. Apparently the entrance to the tunnels was in her cell, and the group brought her along."  
The commander had looked as if he were about to blow up. "What? Some prisoner? Let me guess, that same prisoner is fighting for the emperor too, hm? They probably took out half of our agents on their own?"  
"Well... They are talented with a katana..." the scout had said carefully.

The commander had started laughing, with an obviously sarcastic tone. "Ha. They want a fight? They'll get it. Everyone! Listen closely! Those scumbags who oppose our lord Dagon have bested our brothers and sisters in the first few rooms. They will most likely come here. We will not let them have victory. We will give lord Dagon his chance to cross over. Everyone, to your positions!" The commander had turned to the scout. "Listen. In that room, there is a secret passage. I want you to hide in there. I did not deem more stealth necessary, but I might have been wrong. We will all attack them in this room, hopefully take most of them out. I pray, if we fail, the emperor will hide in that room, where you shall be hidden too. When that happens, you are to fulfill our mission. Is that clear?"  
"I... I'm no fighter, sir. I'd rather..." he had said hesistantly.  
"Is. That. Clear," the commander had said with a tone that had stopped any argument the scout had been about to give. He'd inhaled and nodded. "There's a good lad," the commander said. "Now, the entrance is through there. To your post!"

So he had entered the tunnel and now he was here. The passage was dark and humid, like any underground passage was. Up ahead he heard voices speaking. He recognised one of them: his target. He sneaked closer to the wall, to the door to the one he was supposed to kill. The one he would kill. He leaned to listen in to the conversation.

"Wait. So this is it?" someone, not the emperor, said.  
"For me, it ends here. You are our only hope to stem the blood tide. Give me your hand," the emperor responded. There was the sound of a small scuffle, like someone was pushing something into someone.  
The scout almost cried at that sentence. He didn't want to kill! That was not his job! That was never his job! And this man... He was prepared to die, taking care of his last things in this world. However bad the emperor was, at least he accepted his fate unlike the scout himself. The scout knew he had no choice. He readied a blade. On the other side, the conversation continued.  
"I... I guess I'll take it from here. You can count on me. I... I promise," the other person said shakily.  
The scout placed his hand on the switch to the door.  
"Then go. Take with you my blessings and the hope of the empire."  
He took a deep breath and flipped the switch. As the wall slid open, he jumped out and drove his knife into the emperor's chest. He saw an argonian look at him, eyes widened. In frenzy and fear he ran toward her and tried to cut her as well. He managed to scrape her but she deflected the blow. She continued to drive her katana through his chest.  
As everything faded to black, he heard the hurried sound of someone in heavy armour coming into the room. "No..." was all the man said.  
The scout smiled sadly. He had taken a life. He had made his lord proud. He had made Mankar Camoran proud... hadn't he? He closed his eyes and prayed silently.

_Please, lord Dagon. Welcome my soul into your ranks. Accept my sacrifice, paid in blood and shame. Let me be reborn in your glory, but please. Make it so that I never have to take a life again. One was enough. Never again._


End file.
